What if You Fly
by Cyclops is Right
Summary: (Never to be finished) A written alternate ending/timeline of Batman Beyond Rebirth keeping everything that has happened (including the New 52's Future's End) to Batman Beyond issue #23. After the New Scarecrow ideal, Matt has been Robin for quite a bit. But with the Clown Prince of Crime back on the streets and intervenes Matt's chance to be a legend like those that preceded him.
1. Chapter 1

The moon shines its dim light on Neo-Gotham, fluttering down as two as two figures zig-zag between the gaudi buildings. The figures would be the Batman, and the newly donned Robin, in his new suit and all.

Robin flies ahead, ever excited for his third huge adventure since Payback or the new Scarecrow. The boy swooped and swayed, and hooted happily. "Don't go too far ahead," says Batman, "and remember what we really came out here for." The two had actually gone out to investigate the odd deaths springing from within the ranks of the Jokerz gang. Robin stopped and perched on a rooftop, waiting a second for his teacher, his brother, his quote on quote "boss."

"I know Terry, I know." Robin replies to the earlier statement, curling his lip in a boyish fashion. Batman, or referred to as Terry, lands next to Robin, cuffing his brother over the earpiece.

" _ **Stop it you two."**_ comes a voice from both of their earpieces. " _ **I can hear the feedback from Matt's headgear."**_

"Sorry Bruce." the two reply in unison.

" _ **Whatever, just get to the bottom of this, and hurry back."**_ Bruce instructs, in real time, leaning back in his chair in front of the Batcomputer. Eagerly, Matt flapped his Robin wings and jumped down from the rooftop and to the ground below.

He heard an eerie chuckle echo before him. The boy shudder, not for the dampness of the dark alley, but from fear. It took him a few seconds to register his brother dropping down next to him, until he had laid a hand on him. "You okay? You seem a little jumpy… ?"

Before Matt could reply, a feminine voice squeals from in front of them. "Speaking of jumpy-!" the voice said, being followed by a thin, painted faced woman with blonde pigtails. The woman leaped in front of them, the pigtails bobbing as she did so.

Other members of the Jokerz gang closed in around them with wide eyes and equally wide smiles. Of course, thus far, this situation wouldn't be anything new to the Bat, and the newly hatched Robin could handle himself. Simply put, when the Jokerz lashed out, the duo swung punches causing bruises and cracked nose bridges. All was looking out well, but the chuckle rang out once more and louder this time. " _To the side children, brethren, and friends o' mine! Ho, ho!"_

As the Jokerz parted, Terry scrunched up his face as he tried to recognize the voice. " _ **Terry! Matt!"**_ Bruce shouted into the communication links. All the Jokerz looked in once direction as a slender figure steps into viewpoint. He held another Joker by the nape of his neck, forcing him onto his knees.

The man on his knees would be none other than J-Man. His white face paint was smeared revealing caucasian skin beneath, and in some areas on his face the paint was caked with blood. Preceding upwards would be the real Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker himself.

Terry, Matt, and Bruce all knew the Joker had been out in Gotham somewhere ever since the events after the time bending, Brother Eye invasion. The Joker never made himself blatant, until this very moment.

"Well itsy bitsy Batsy. I see you've gotten yourself a baby bird! Congratulations." The Joker says, glowering with a large grin. Terry clenches his jaw and slanted his eyes. "You didn't want to converse about Robin, didja? Cut to the chase Joker."

Without waiting for a reply, Terry continued to talk. "Doesn't matter what you're planning anyway, in one life I took you down, and I could do it again."

Matt remained still and unintentionally tensing up, not knowing what to say or do. Bruce said nothing to instruct them, only silently analyzing the situation back at the cave.

"Oh please…" snorts The Joker, "Don't make me laugh- oh too late!"

He guffawed, causing the clowns around him to join in on the supposed joke, as if they were a twisted laugh track. They stopped when their boss put up a hand to cut them off, as he was about to do something. He tosses J-Man closer and further to the ground, and crouches next to the shivering form and drew up a knife.

J-Man looked up hopelessly and in a hoarse whisper he uttered, " _Please… don't…"_

Petting the imposter on the head, The Joker ignored his statement and turned to Terry and Matt with a smirk and a faint twinkle in his eye.

" _ **Stop him!"**_ Bruce yells from his seat, watching the feed.

But before either could react, Jokerz swamped them, too many to break free, even with the suit's enhanced strength. Their eyes were forced to watch.

"I just wanted you to witness a new era.." coos The Joker, beginning to carve a smile into J-Man's face. The victim screeched, making more blood gush from his mouth. The Joker continued to speak, "watch as the new ways of crime fade-" at this time he finished the smiled, J-man panting in short frantic breaths. "-and watch as the old fashioned way trumps all!"

The Joker made a swift slash to the young thug's throat, spilling more of his blood onto the damp concrete. The Joker let J-Man's body plop onto the puddle of blood seeping into the ground, and wiped the knife on his pants. "Hoo hoo, the cheap knockoff is dead."

Horrified, Matt screamed and bit the nearest hand that held him, kicking and screaming some more. The poor boy just wanted to get free, " _ **Matt stop! You need to calm down!"**_ the familiar yet not very calming voice shouts into the Robin's comm' links.

Jokerz holding Terry let up a bit, putting their focus on Matt. This allowed Terry to break from their grip and push a few to the side. He attempts to help Matt, but the hyena hybrid Joker named Woof gnawed on Terry's leg with sharp teeth, pulling him away. " _Gah-_ you stupid mutt!"

Terry stabs a batarang into Woof's shoulder, drawing blood. The female Joker from earlier took this chance to leap onto Terry's back.

 _Ugh,_ thinks the Bat, _why does it always resort to this?_

While Terry presses the middle button on his utility belt to trigger the suit taser, Matt was being gagged and dragged away by The Joker's inner circle: Dee Dee, Dee Dee, Scab, Chucko, and Ghoul.

Making his plan full proof, The Joker breaks Matt's headgear, so that Bruce would not be able to see or hear what Matt Bruce did notice the feed going offline and notifies Terry.

"There's too many of them… can't seem to get out…" Terry grunts, struggling.

" _ **Use your rockets and fly out of there, and hurry!"**_

Terry obliges, and does exactly so. The act did just the trick and the mangy Jokerz were left far below him.

Flying above, looking for any signs of his brother below him, many thoughts swam in Terry's head. Many too grim to dwell upon. _Nothing… nothing… damn! He's gone!_ This is exactly was Terry was afraid of when Matt first became Robin. But at that point, Matt had too much ambition to not let him become the sidekick. Now, not so much.

While he searched, Terry remembered the story of Tim Drake, Barbara had told him once (which was relevant for the first time he seen Joker, and not Jason Todd's story). The story entails Tim getting tortured by Joker, and with Joker dying as he should have. But of course the whole event of Brother Eye, time travel shit and whatnot, that was reversed. But no time to dwell, Matty was in danger.


	2. Chapter 2

It's been a good few hours, and Terry resorted unwillingly to go back to the Batcave and work to find Matt from there.

Bruce has already done some research on where the Joker would take the little boy, which was all the progress they had, and the situation was already looking a little grim. Bruce, of all people knew what The Joker was capable of, and what he did to his family. Jason, Tim, Barbara, and any civilian who has been hurt by this fiend.

It all happened in the past and parts of what The Joker has done has been healed, but the memories were an everlasting scar. Bruce never wanted any of that to happen again, that is not the future he wished for little Matthew…

All the meanwhile The Joker and his inner circle gather in an apartment with their new catch. The boy was held between the Dee Dee twins- Delia on his right, Diedre on his left- and he was arising from unconsciousness. "Guh… where… _huh?_ "

"Aw, the little birdy-birdy has woken up!"

"Tweet tweet!" the twins say, each pinching one of his cheeks,

Matt screwed up his face, and wrung his arms out from the girls' grip with a bit of struggle. Though he was free, Chucko- the hefty brawn and little brains of the group- grabs Matt from behind and pins his arms back. "Sorry fella." says the voice behind the frozen laughing mask of Chuko's.

Matt grits his teeth and hisses under his breath, "You're far from sorry."

He tries to pull out his arms once again, but with more difficulty this time.

The Joker walked up to Matt, and leaned down so that they were at eye level. He grinned a crooked grin, and in the palm of his hand was the "R" symbol that would normally reside on the left side of Robin's chest. Matt sweatdropped, and realized that there was exposed circuitry on his costume's chest. Joker must've removed the suit's capabilities while he was unconscious.

"Little birdy ain't so chipper now, eh?" The Joker chuckles, crushing the "R" in his hand, and drops it.

Matt opened his mouth to speak but he was cut off, "Upupup! Before you say anything, I bet this is the part where you say…" Joker begins to mock the young boy's voice, "' _Batman will find me and we'll beat you up! We'll put you in the slammer!'"_

Matt spat in his face, "I was more going to say sumthin' along the lines of… _Umph!_ " the boy headbutted Joker, although the attempt left the pale white man with a small forming bruise. The Joker softly shook his head and tilted forwards so that he whisper in the boy's ear. "I know you're afraid McGinnis… acting stupid doesn't make you look brave."

Matt stiffened as The Joker's hot breath tickled his ear and hissed his name. "How did you-" he started to accuse, questioning Joker on how the clown knew his last name.

"I've been in the game for a long time kid, and you have skipped the tutorial."

The Joker retracted, folding his arms behind his back. "The whole plan is to get the Bat Brat over here, and oh… y'know where that kind of plot usually ends up, right? But no need to worry, ole Joker here can always add that tasteful twist." He chuckles to himself, walking to a counter, leaving Matt to his own devices.

Matt finally took his chance to look at the surroundings, and recognized the place easily. When he had first awoken he wasn't too sure, but this was definitely his home. The apartment he used to live in with his mom, and later Terry, and then just he and Terry. About a year ago he moved in with Mr. Wayne with his brother.

The Joker had turned the place into a hideout for he and his goons. There was a dingy couch which Ghoul laid upon, a closet filled with a clown themed arsenal, and finally a chem set on the counter. Joker fiddled with the set without giving anyone so much as a glance.

 _What am I to do without a way out?_

Matt just stood there with his arms pinned back, listening to the faint static coming from his broken comm' links.

Surprisingly, The Joker had not disclosed Matt's identity to the others, for his mask stayed on, and only signs of tampering with the mask were the broken links.

 _Hopefully Terry finds me, because I'm not dying to this freak like everyone else._

Back in the Batcave (a few moments before Joker's confrontation with Matt),Terry and Bruce divided the list of locations amongst themselves.

With a compromise, Terry agrees to let Bruce in on the search. The old man would use one of his older suits- one that would give him more strength.

The two also had told Commissioner Barbara Gordon of the situation, but she was held up at Crown Pointe along with Terry's friend Maxine. Even Bruce had told Dick Grayson the former Nightwing, who was on his way from Bludhaven.

Terry heads to his first location frantically, and Bruce sighs. He hopes the other boy doesn't get himself into trouble as well. They're the only people, the reasons he has left.


End file.
